 | |
| Established | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Based in |  Berlin, Germany |
| Home stadium | Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark |
| Head coach | Johnny Schmuck |
| General manager | Diana Hoge |
| League | European League of Football (ELF) |
| Division | Eastern Conference |
| Colors | Red, gold, white |
| Website | berlinthunder |
| Current uniform | |
 | |
The Berlin Thunder are an American football team in Berlin, Germany. They play in the European League of Football (ELF) Eastern Conference.
On 22 March 2021, the Berlin Thunder were announced as one of the eight teams to play in the inaugural season of the European League of Football. [1] [2] Their first game was against the Leipzig Kings on 20 June 2021, which they lost 27 to 37 at home. [3] [4] [5] The rest of the 2021 season was not going to be successful either, with the only wins coming from games against the Stuttgart Surge, last of the league, and against Barcelona Dragons at home, which also struggled. Nevertheless, the team faced adversity regarding practice facilities, equipment, injuries and more. Several domestic players emerged as fan favorites, like tight end Nicolai Schumann and defensive back Moritz Thiele. [6] The NFL IPP Program also awarded Thunder defensive linemen Adedayo Odeleye an international spot with the Houston Texans. [7] After the 2021 season the contract of head coach Jag Bal wasn't extended. [8]
On September 12, 2021 it was announced that former NFL 1st-round draft pick Björn Werner became co-owner and director of football operations of the franchise. [9] Shortly after, then general manager Heiko von Glahn left the franchise and was succeeded by the first female general manager of the league, Diana Hoge. [10] With the announcement of the new head coach Johnny Schmuck, all important positions in the Berlin front office have been changed. [11] The main goal of the restructures was, to build an domestic staff and to be able to coach all year around. The result in the 2022 season was a positive record with 7 wins and 5 losses, finishing second of the Northern Conference behind rival Hamburg Sea Devils. The offensive production increased in total passing and rushing yard, giving them a chance to reach the 4-team play-offs till the end of the regular season. With the loss against the Tirol Raiders at home, they came short of this milestone. On the bright side, individual performances of Kyle Kitchens with a record 16 sacks and winning the Defensive Player Of The Year award, as well as Joc Crawford rushing for 1.088 yards total, stood out.
For the 2023 ELF season, only few changes occurred in the staff. With Henry Schlegel being promoted from Head of Scouting and Analytics to offensive coordinator, he became the youngest coordinator in the league. [12] With a new quarterback in Donovan Isom, a new WR1 in Aaron Jackson and no US-imported running back, the offense had a different scheme. [13] As a result, the franchise reached the play-offs for the first time in their history as the 5th seed and 2nd of their conference. [14] In the wildcard round of the 2023 ELF play-offs, the Thunder lost against the Frankfurt Galaxy on the road after a physically tough game due to the summer heat. The game was also cut short, when a player collapsed and a member of the Berlin sideline got hit by a Frankfurt player. [15]
| Season | Head coach | Regular season | Postseason | Result | Ø Attendance | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | GP | Won | Lost | Win % | ||||
| 2021 | Jag Bal | 10 | 3 | 7 | .300 | 4th (North) | DNQ | 914 | ||||
| 2022 | Johnny Schmuck | 12 | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2nd (North) | DNQ | 3,583 | ||||
| 2023 | 12 | 8 | 4 | .666 | 2nd (Eastern) | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | — | 4,566 | |
In their first season, the Thunder played the first two home games at Amateurstadion Olympiapark, and the other three at Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. From the 2022 season on, the Jahn-Sportpark-Stadium is their venue for home games. [16] The Sportpark, with its several fields, also functions as their practise ground during the year. At the end of 2023, the stadium is going to be substantially renovated, which shouldn't disturb the day-to-day operations.
| Quarterbacks Running backs
Wide receivers Tight ends
| Offensive linemen Defensive linemen | Linebackers Defensive backs
| Rookies in italics | ||||||
Front office
Head coach
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Assistant coaches
Strength and conditioning
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The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe.
The Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark is a multi-purpose sports complex located in the western part of the locality of Prenzlauer Berg in the borough of Pankow in Berlin. The sports complex covers an area of approximately 22 hectares and comprises several facilities. The main building is the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Stadion. The stadium is the third-largest stadium in Berlin, after the Olympiastadion and the Stadion An der Alten Försterei, with a capacity of approximately 20,000 seats, of which 15,000 are covered. Currently, the main tenants of the stadium are VSG Altglienicke and Berlin Thunder. Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark was the venue for the 2018 World Para Athletics European Championships.
The 2006 Frankfurt Galaxy season was the 14th season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Mike Jones in his third year, and played its home games at Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt, Germany. They finished the regular season in second place with a record of seven wins and three losses. In World Bowl XIV, Frankfurt defeated the Amsterdam Admirals 22–7. The victory marked the franchise's fourth World Bowl championship, a league record.
The 2006 Berlin Thunder season was the eighth season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Rick Lantz in his third year, and played its home games at Olympic Stadium and Jahn-Sportpark in Berlin, Germany. They finished the regular season in sixth place with a record of two wins, seven losses and one tie.
The 2001 Barcelona Dragons season was the ninth season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Jack Bicknell in his ninth year, and played its home games at Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. They finished the regular season in first place with a record of eight wins and two losses. In World Bowl IX, Barcelona lost to the Berlin Thunder 24–17.
The 2001 Berlin Thunder season was the third season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Peter Vaas in his second year, and played its home games at Jahn-Sportpark in Berlin, Germany. They finished the regular season in second place with a record of six wins and four losses. In World Bowl IX, Berlin defeated the Barcelona Dragons 24–17. The victory marked the franchise's first World Bowl championship.
The 2002 Berlin Thunder season was the fourth season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Peter Vaas in his third year, and played its home games at Jahn-Sportpark in Berlin, Germany. They finished the regular season in second place with a record of six wins and four losses. In World Bowl X, Berlin defeated the Rhein Fire 26–20. The victory marked the franchise's second World Bowl championship.
The 1999 Berlin Thunder season was the inaugural season for the franchise in the NFL Europe League (NFLEL). The team was led by head coach Wes Chandler, and played its home games at Jahn-Sportpark in Berlin, Germany. They finished the regular season in sixth place with a record of three wins and seven losses.
The European League of Football (ELF) is a professional American football league. The league consists of 17 teams located in Germany, Poland, Spain, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and France, with plans to expand to 24 teams in 2024. The new league was officially created in November 2020, and kicked off on 19 June 2021.
The 2021 ELF season was the inaugural season of the European League of Football, a newly formed professional American football league based in Europe. It started on June 19, 2021, and ended with a Championship Game in Düsseldorf's Merkur Spiel-Arena, on September 26, 2021.
The 2021 Barcelona Dragons season was the first season of the new Barcelona Dragons team in the inaugural season of the European League of Football. Initially called Gladiators Football, the Barcelona franchise was renamed after the league announced it had reached an agreement with the NFL, to be able to use the team names from the days of NFL Europe.
The 2021 Cologne Centurions season was the first season of the new Cologne Centurions team in the inaugural season of the European League of Football.
The 2022 Berlin Thunder season is the second season of the Berlin Thunder team in the European League of Football.
The 2022 Leipzig Kings season in the European League of Football is the second season in the Leipzig Kings history.
The 2022 Frankfurt Galaxy season is the second season of the new Frankfurt Galaxy team in the European League of Football.
The 2022 ELF season was the second season of the European League of Football, a semi professional American football league based in Europe. Twelve teams from five different countries participated. The 2022 season started on June 4, 2022, and concluded with
The 2023 ELF season is the third season of the European League of Football, a professional American football league based in Europe. Seventeen teams from nine different countries will participate and will compete for the title at the Championship Game in the Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena Duisburg, Germany on September 24, 2023.
The 2023 Berlin Thunder season is the third season of the Berlin Thunder team in the European League of Football.
The 2023 Leipzig Kings season is the third season of the Leipzig Kings in the European League of Football history.
The 2024 Berlin Thunder season is the fourth season of the Berlin Thunder team in the European League of Football and the second season in the Eastern Conference of the ELF.
